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hoosgracie's review against another edition
3.0
Set in Florida, this novel is about a family with talents. Their talents are often odd, for example the deceased patriarch could see colors no one else could see. The story centers around Johnny, who can make maps, and his niece Eloise who catches things. They set out on a road trip to dig up the money Johnny needs to pay off his former boss.
This was a meandering story. It may have been the narrator (I listened to this), but I cam to detest Johnny. I found him to be annoying and patronizing to his niece. I was glad when I was done.
This was a meandering story. It may have been the narrator (I listened to this), but I cam to detest Johnny. I found him to be annoying and patronizing to his niece. I was glad when I was done.
analenegrace's review against another edition
I wanted to like this so much because I like the premise but the actual book is very slow and fairly boring. The non-linear storytelling just didn't work for me either.
mschlat's review against another edition
3.0
Really, really liked the characters and some of the chapters, but the plotting left me confused at times and a bit frustrated at others. It's a wonderful concept: the Ribkins are a family of African Americans who each have some beyond human power (scaling walls, making maps of places you have not seen, appearing irresistible, etc...). We follow Johnny Ribkins, a man in his seventies, who is attempting to pay off a criminal debt by digging up caches of money and valuables he has hidden around Florida. Along the way, he picks up his niece Eloise (who he just discovered existed), helps her with her power, and visits other members of the Ribkins family. (There's a history of Ribkins and others working during the Civil Right Movement to keep everyone safe as the Justice Committee, with a nice line being that they weren't the freedom movement, but the "freedom of movement" movement.)
All that sounds great, but the plots with Johnny seemed a bit pat (i.e., a man with powers who has been using them for criminal exploits after doing good considers moving back to doing good). In addition, there's an appearance of the "politician appears on TV during one scene and ends up being major evil character" trope. At the end, Hubbard throws in a switch or two, and one of them fell completely flat for me. There's also a lot of flashbacks that left me a bit addled as to sequences of events in the past.
Still liked the book, and I may look out for more Hubbard novels, but I felt bereft at the end that the plotting didn't coalesce.
All that sounds great, but the plots with Johnny seemed a bit pat (i.e., a man with powers who has been using them for criminal exploits after doing good considers moving back to doing good). In addition, there's an appearance of the "politician appears on TV during one scene and ends up being major evil character" trope. At the end, Hubbard throws in a switch or two, and one of them fell completely flat for me. There's also a lot of flashbacks that left me a bit addled as to sequences of events in the past.
Still liked the book, and I may look out for more Hubbard novels, but I felt bereft at the end that the plotting didn't coalesce.
flower_mail's review
2.0
This was a genre bender. American road trip novel (The Price of Salt?) meets X-men meets Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children.
Something was just... missing. This had the potential to be a great book, but all roads led nowhere. The book felt like a puzzle, but its solution didn't make sense.
Something was just... missing. This had the potential to be a great book, but all roads led nowhere. The book felt like a puzzle, but its solution didn't make sense.
sunwatersalt's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bonhomiebooks's review against another edition
4.0
Travel. All to search for materialist belongings gains real relationship and a bond that I found entirely adoring. The ending was a bit lackluster.
toasternoodle's review against another edition
5.0
“Everything beautiful in this world is strange,” the Hammer said.
…
“It’s not your job to try and compensate other people’s lack of vision. You’ve got enough to do just trying to be true to your own.”
4.5. What a tender, joyous, bafflingly underrated novel. Like everything I loved about [b:Deacon King Kong|51045613|Deacon King Kong|James McBride|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570443527l/51045613._SX50_.jpg|76287204] with a dash of Louis Sachar's Holes.
…
“It’s not your job to try and compensate other people’s lack of vision. You’ve got enough to do just trying to be true to your own.”
4.5. What a tender, joyous, bafflingly underrated novel. Like everything I loved about [b:Deacon King Kong|51045613|Deacon King Kong|James McBride|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570443527l/51045613._SX50_.jpg|76287204] with a dash of Louis Sachar's Holes.
obviouslyjudith's review against another edition
4.0
Elderly person who's kind of done with the world + child who gives them hope for the future is a peak dynamic that was executed excellently here
qnoodles's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0